Kawneer’s AA®100 zone-drained capped curtainwalling, AA®540 fixed light and AA®541 top-hung casement windows, medium-duty swingand series 190 heavy-duty commercial entrance doors, feature throughout the 1.5-hectaresite at Abbots Park, Tulse Hill in Lambeth.It also includes as rooflights Kawneer’s 451PT framing system which was designed in closecollaboration with SCAPE.

The rebuilding of Fenstanton Primary School for 638children and creation of a new 1,100-place academy, known as City HeightsAcademy, for sponsor E-ACT was completed in two phases over two years by maincontractor Carillion.

A special requirement of the brief to regularKawneer specifiers Jestico + Whiles architects was that the buildings shouldmeet Part L of the Building Regulations.

Architect Daniel Bryan-Harris said: “The energyefficiency of the buildings was very important. Achieving good daylighting of teachingspaces was critical but this had to be balanced against limiting solar gainsand preventing overheating.

“The window frames and glass spec had to bethermally efficient to achieve the stringent Part L Building Regulationsrequirements. But the 50mm sightlines of the windows - the transoms andmullions - were also important in the overall composition of the elevations.”

He added: “We had successfully used Kawneer onprevious education projects and they offered a wide range of products to suitthe variety of windows and curtain walling types required for the project.”

In addition to providing two quality schools forlocal children of all ages, one of the key aims of the project was to allowcommunity use of the facilities. A performance hall, sports centre, café andlearning resource centre have all been positioned where they can be easily and securelyaccessed by local people.

Constructed on a flat slab, all Kawneer productswere fixed over 17 months by specialist sub-contractor Leay within a proprietarycold-rolled structural framing system and finished with externally insulatedrender, facing brickwork, rainscreen cladding and multi-coloured brise soleil.

Daniel added:” Aluminium is easily recyclable, thiswas decisive.”

He concluded: “The academy is in its infancy,thrilled to be in such a contemporary new building that it can grow into asstudent numbers increase year-on-year.”